80 Degree Trivia for Chicago

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
921 AM CDT TUE OCT 23 2012 /1021 AM EDT TUE OCT 23 2012/
...SOME 80 DEGREE TEMPERATURE TRIVIA FOR CHICAGO...
UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY
THIS WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO POTENTIALLY COME CLOSE
TO...IF NOT REACH 80 DEGREES. IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY UNUSUAL TO SEE
80 DEGREE TEMPERATURES THIS LATE IN THE YEAR...IN FACT THERE HAVE
ONLY BEEN 6 OUT OF THE PAST 141 YEARS THAT HAVE SEEN 80 DEGREE HIGH
TEMPERATURES IN CHICAGO ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 24TH...WHICH IS ONLY
ABOUT 4 PERCENT OF THE YEARS.
INTERESTINGLY...THE LAST TIME THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 80 DEGREES IN
CHICAGO WAS BACK ON SEPTEMBER 12TH WHEN THE HIGH WAS 86 DEGREES. IF
CHICAGO FAILS TO REACH 80 DEGREES AGAIN THIS YEAR THEN 2012 WOULD GO
DOWN TIED FOR THE 7TH EARLIEST LAST 80 DEGREE DAY EVER IN CHICAGO.
OF THE OTHER YEARS IN THE TOP 10 EARLIEST LAST 80 DEGREE DAYS ALMOST
ALL OF THEM OCCURRED BACK PRIOR TO 1900 WHEN OFFICIAL TEMPERATURES
WERE TAKEN CLOSER TO LAKE MICHIGAN...WITH ONLY 1996 HAVING AN
EARLIER LAST 80 DEGREE DAY THAN THIS YEAR SINCE THE OFFICIAL
OBSERVATION LOCATION WAS MOVED FARTHER INLAND FROM LAKE MICHIGAN.
HERE ARE THE CURRENT TOP 10 EARLIEST LAST 80 DEGREE DAYS IN
CHICAGO...
RANK DATE
1 8/31/1876
2 9/7/1890
3 9/9/1875
4 9/10/1896
9/10/1996
6 9/11/1888
7 9/12/1874
9/12/2012 (THROUGH OCTOBER 23RD)
9 9/14/1889
9/14/1894
9/14/1917
WHAT IS ESPECIALLY REMARKABLE ABOUT POTENTIALLY HAVING ONE OF THE
EARLIEST LAST 80 DEGREE DAYS EVER IN CHICAGO IS THAT THIS YEAR HAS
ALSO SEEN A NEAR RECORD FOR THE MOST NUMBER OF 80 DEGREE DAYS IN A
YEAR. SO FAR THIS YEAR...CHICAGO HAS RACKED UP 101 DAYS WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE 80 DEGREES WHICH IS TIED FOR THE 3RD MOST
NUMBER OF 80 DEGREE DAYS EVER IN CHICAGO. THE MOST NUMBER OF 80
DEGREE DAYS EVER IN A YEAR IN CHICAGO IS 103 WHICH OCCURRED BACK IN
2005.
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IZZI